Petunia plant named ‘MP20’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘MP20’, characterized by its compact, uniform cascading and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely and continuous branching habit; small leaves; and numerous small lavender-colored flowers with dark purple-colored throat and venation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petuniaplant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida, and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar name MP20.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, Australia. Theobjective of the breeding program is to create cascading Petunias withnumerous small flowers with attractive flower colors. The new Petuniaoriginated from a cross made by the Inventor in 1998 of a proprietaryPetunia selection identified as PJ3 as the female, or seed parent, witha proprietary Petunia selection identified as PJ39 as the male, orpollen parent. The new Petunia was selected as a single plant from theresulting progeny by the Inventor in October, 1999, in Cobbitty, NewSouth Wales, Australia, on the basis of its cascading habit and numerouslavender-colored flowers with dark purple venation.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken inCobbitty, New South Wales, Australia since October, 1999 has shown thatthe unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar MP20 have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, light intensity,daylength, and fertilizer rate without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘MP20’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘MP20’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Compact, uniform cascading and outwardly spreading plant habit.

2. Freely and continuous branching.

3. Small leaves.

4. Numerous small lavender-colored flowers with dark purple-coloredthroat and venation.

Plants of the new Petunia differ from the female parent in flower coloras plants of the female parent have pink-colored flowers. Plants of thenew Petunia differ from the male parent in flower size and color asplants of the male parent have larger and darker purple-colored flowers.Plants of the new Petunia differ from its sibling cultivar, MP21, U.S.Plant Patent application Ser. No. 09/832,037, filed concurrently,primarily in flower color as plants of ‘MP21’ have white-coloredflowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof three typical flowering plants of ‘MP20’ grown in a 24.5-cm hangingbasket container and were about 14 weeks old.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical developing flower buds and flowers, lower surface of an openedflower, and lower and upper surfaces of typical leaves of ‘MP20’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations, measurements and comparisions describeplants grown in Lompoc, Calif., under commercial practice during thesummer and autumn in a polycarbonate-covered greenhouse with daytemperatures about 24 to 29° C., night temperatures about 16 to 18° C.and light levels about 5,000 to 9,000 foot-candles. Three cuttings wereplanted in 24.5-cm hanging basket containers and grown for about 14weeks. In the following description, color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar MP20.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary Petunia selection identified as PJ3, notpatented.

Male parent.—Proprietary Petunia selection identified as PJ39, notpatented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings

Time to initiate roots.—About 14 days at 22° C.

Time to develop roots.—About 28 days at 22° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous, white.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching, dense.

Plant description:

Form.—Annual flowering plant; indeterminate; initially upright, thencascading and outwardly spreading; uniform; plants eventually becominghemispherical to spherical in shape. Viscid and glandular pubescent.Freely basal branching with about 5 or 6 main lateral branches per plantwith potentially lateral branches forming at every node.

Usage.—Appropriate for hanging baskets, window boxes, patio containersand landscape applications.

Plant height.—About 20 cm.

Plant diameter.—About 32 cm.

Vigor.—Vigorous.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 35 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internodelength: Vegetative branches before flowering: About 2 cm. Floweringbranches: About 1.5 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144B.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, generally symmetrical andlong-persisting; opposite. Quantity per lateral branch: About 42.Length: About 3.5 cm. Width: About 2.7 cm. Shape: Nearly oval. Apex:Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous;glandular, viscid. Venation pattern: Arcuate. Color: Young foliage,upper surface: 146A. Young foliage, lower surface: 146B. Mature foliage,upper surface: 146A. Mature foliage, lower surface: 146B to 146C.Venation, upper surface: 146D. Venation, lower surface: 146C. Petiolelength: About 9 mm. Petiole diameter: About 3 mm. Petiole color: 146D.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Small salverform flowers; flowers face mostlyupward or outward; single, axillary. Flowers persistent. Freelyflowering, typically about 100 open flowers and flower buds per plant.

Natural flowering season.—Long day responsive; spring until frost in theautumn; flowering continuous.

Flower longevity on the plant.—About 7 to 10 days in the greenhouse.

Fragrance.—Not detected.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 3.4 cm. Tube length: About 2.5 cm. Throatdiameter, distal end: About 1 cm. Tube diameter, proximal end: About 3mm.

Flower buds (showing color).—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: Apex: About5.5 mm. Base: About 3 mm. Shape: Elongated oblong with slightly ruffledapices Color: Ground color, 138B; veins, 79C.

Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five petals, fused intoflared trumpet with distinct clefts between petal lobes. Petal lengthfrom throat: About 1 cm. Petal width: About 1.5 cm. Petal shape: Roughlyspatulate or fan-shaped. Petal apex: Rounded, emarginate. Petal margin:Entire. Petal texture: Smooth, velvety. Color: Petal, upper surface,when opening: 82C to 82D. Petal, lower surface, when opening: 75B.Petal, upper surface, fully opened: 87C, fading to 75C with subsequentdevelopment. Petal, lower surface, fully opened: 75B to 75C. Flowerthroat (inside): 79A. Flower tube (outside): 79B to 79C. Venation, upperpetal surface: 80A. Venation, lower petal surface: 77A. Venation,throat: 79A. Venation, tube: 79C to 79D.

Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals fused atbase, star-shaped. Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape:Elongate, obovate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture, bothsurfaces: Pubescent. Color: Upper surface: 138A. Lower surface: 138B.

Peduncles.—Length: About 2.75 cm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Angle: About 45°to the stem. Strength: Moderately strong; wiry. Texture: Pubescent.Color: 143C.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Five, adnate tocorolla tube. Anther shape: Ovoid. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anthercolor: 93D. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 97A. Pistils: Quantity:One. Pistil length: About 1.8 cm. Stigma shape: Flat, slightly bi-lobed.Stigma color: 146A. Style length: About 1.4 cm. Style color: 146C. Ovarycolor: 144C.

Seed.—Seed production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been notedto be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Petunia.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named‘MP20’, as